Mount Martha is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located 60 km
south-east of Melbourne's central business district.
Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington
Peninsula. It is located on the south-eastern shores of Port Phillip Bay and offers a bathing
beach. A boardwalk winds its way for over 5 km along the Balcombe
Creek, its North beach mouth to the Briars Historic Park. The
suburb's highest point bears the area's name and reaches 160 m (540
ft). The peak was named after Martha Lonsdale, the wife of a
captain in the Royal
Navy.

History

Mount Martha has its roots dating back to the 1840s when the
township's major role was that of farming. The Briars Homestead in
the town's East was constructed from 1848 to 1851 and was used by
Alexander Balcombe until 1876 as he farmed the land surrounding it
and tended to 100 acres (0.40 km2) of
vineyards. The homestead was named after the lodging of the same
name in Saint
Helena, and today contains several historical pieces sent there
by Napoleon during his stay on the
Atlantic island.

In 1891 the Martha Hotel, designed by architects Tappin, Gilbert
and Dennehy was constructed in a Federation Queen Anne
style. Today, the building now known as Mt. Martha House serves
as a community centre and is Victorian Heritage listed.
As the population grew, Mount Martha Post Office opened around
1902. [3]

During the Second World War, Mt. Martha's Balcombe
Creek camp hosted the United States Marine Corps's
1st Marine Division
in late 1942 following their involvement in the Battle of Guadalcanal. After the conclusion
of the war, it was progressively relocated or demolished until
[1999]. The area is now known as Balcombe Estuary and has barbecue
facilities (including an open fireplace) as well as a children's
play area in the west, and residential allocations were made in the
east. Also during the second world war, Mt. Martha House had
extensive use by the military and functioned as a Women's Royal
Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) barracks up until 1978.

Mt Martha is also home to public tennis courts, 4 football ovals
and numerous grass reserves.

In 1978, a water treatment plant was constructed in the suburbs
east, which services nearby towns Mornington, Mount Eliza, Mount
Martha, Somerville, Pearcedale and Baxter, and provides treated
water to local vineyards, a tree plantation and lawns.

Mount Martha is home to a volunteer CFA fire brigade responding
on average to 180 calls a year for assistance from the community.
Incidents range from grass and scrub fires, mva's (Motor Vehicle
Accidents), to house fires.

Mount Martha holds the popular annual Mount Martha Australia Day
Swim, as well as the MMAD Swim.

Golfers play at the course of the Mount Martha Golf Club on
Forest Drive.[4]